Synonyms of work
1
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
this new drug can really work wonders
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Relevance
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2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
finally figured out how to work the math problem
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3
4
5
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
this pump is worked by hand
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6
7
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues
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8
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year
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1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production
unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print
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2
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers
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3
as in job
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists
the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images
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4
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
put a lot of work into the project
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5
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
what line of work are you in?
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of work
Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Check out any over-50 star still working — nearly all have full, Samson-like manes to match their career stamina.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Evan Moore
july 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025
Thankfully, for me, the years of hard work all paid off.
—Salman Chowdhury, CNBC, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Verb
Ward has to play faster in the pocket and continue to work on ball placement.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Check out any over-50 star still working — nearly all have full, Samson-like manes to match their career stamina.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Noun
Though Millsap suddenly found herself out of work, there is little legal recourse for her or the rest of the employees at Okra.
—Evan Moore
july 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025
Thankfully, for me, the years of hard work all paid off.
—Salman Chowdhury, CNBC, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
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When things aren’t quite right Sometimes weather conditions cause botrytis, powdery mildew, rust or blackspot on susceptible roses.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 Aug. 2025
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Particles from the Canadian wildfire smoke can cause minor symptoms, such as mild eye or throat irritation, or more serious heart and lung issues in some cases, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.—
Jack Albright,
jsonline.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Homicide detectives race against the clock, knowing their best chance to solve a murder is within the first two days!—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
31 July 2025
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StackOverflow plans to commit some of its resources both to expanding AI tool literacy and to fostering community discussions that help solve issues that are specific to workflows that involve those tools.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Wheeler, who has his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Arkansas State University, also served briefly as ASU-Newport's interim chancellor in 2021.—
Ryan Anderson,
Arkansas Online,
30 July 2025
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The Union has several restaurants signed, including those serving Mexican, Japanese and Thai food.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
30 July 2025
Verb
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Shumate’s memo directs prosecutors to prioritize investigations against doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that perform such procedures.—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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Ursa Minor recently consolidated its split California/Oregon operations into a single facility in the Portland area, which performs all installations.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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That in turn drove low wages for workers, high staff turnover and limited capacity for children.—
Rachel Wegner,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
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The company eventually evolved to using trucks — Jim Janssen recalled driving the milk trucks at just 11.—
Emma George-Griffin,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Because a bullpen that locks down leads naturally operates best when handed one.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
2 Aug. 2025
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The technical architecture operates on a zero-trust principle, storing all privileged credentials in secure digital vaults and releasing them only momentarily to verified users or systems.—
Steve McDowell,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Crisler said Milton struggles with alcohol addiction and was sober working for four months at a Chipotle restaurant, but a relapse resulted in the April 25 break-in.—
Quinlan Bentley,
The Enquirer,
3 Aug. 2025
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What role should the state play for struggling schools?—
Laura L. Davis,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The department uses a Rural Mail Carrier Survey to track Ohio’s rabbit population, which involves distributing survey cards to all postmasters across the state, who then give the cards to the carriers delivering mail on rural routes.—
Emma Wozniak,
The Enquirer,
31 July 2025
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Blue Ghost Mission 2, scheduled for 2026, will also use Firefly’s Elytra Dark transfer vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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